"...Mr. Speaker, Sir, my thrill on receiving this award was only a little diminished on being told that the first Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to George Washington for what Congress called his "wise and spirited conduct" in getting rid of the British out of Boston. On our way down here, Senator Frist was kind enough to show me the fireplace where, in 1814, the British had burnt the Congress Library. I know this is kind of late, but sorry."

All we can say is, it seemed like a good idea at the time. If y'all get really fed up down there and want us to do it again, just let us know, eh? We're told that Jerry Bruckheimer will cover all costs in exchange for the film rights.

"...We are bound together as never before. And this coming together provides us with unprecedented opportunity but also makes us uniquely vulnerable. And the threat comes because in another part of our globe there is shadow and darkness, where not all the world is free, where many millions suffer under brutal dictatorship, where a third of our planet lives in a poverty beyond anything even the poorest in our societies can imagine, and where a fanatical strain of religious extremism has arisen, that is a mutation of the true and peaceful faith of Islam."

Love the imagery. Hope the Democrats were taking notes.

"...In the end, it is not our power alone that will defeat this evil. Our ultimate weapon is not our guns, but our beliefs. There is a myth that though we love freedom, others don't; that our attachment to freedom is a product of our culture; that freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law are American values, or Western values; that Afghan women were content under the lash of the Taliban; that Saddam was somehow beloved by his people; that Milosevic was Serbia's savior. Members of Congress, ours are not Western values, they are the universal values of the human spirit. And anywhere... anywhere, anytime ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same: freedom, not tyranny; democracy, not dictatorship; the rule of law, not the rule of the secret police. The spread of freedom is the best security for the free. It is our last line of defense and our first line of attack. And just as the terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we have to unify it around an idea. And that idea is liberty. We must find the strength to fight for this idea and the compassion to make it universal."

The day Democrats begin to sound like this again, and back it with action, is the day they'll become serious Presidential contenders again. Not before.

"...The risk is that terrorism and states developing weapons of mass destruction come together. And when people say, "That risk is fanciful," I say we know the Taliban supported Al Qaida. We know Iraq under Saddam gave haven to and supported terrorists. We know there are states in the Middle East now actively funding and helping people, who regard it as God's will in the act of suicide to take as many innocent lives with them on their way to God's judgment. Some of these states are desperately trying to acquire nuclear weapons. We know that companies and individuals with expertise sell it to the highest bidder, and we know that at least one state, North Korea, lets its people starve while spending billions of dollars on developing nuclear weapons and exporting the technology abroad. This isn't fantasy, it is 21st-century reality, and it confronts us now."

Reality. What a concept.

"...There is no more dangerous theory in international politics than that we need to balance the power of America with other competitive powers; different poles around which nations gather. Such a theory may have made sense in 19th-century Europe. It was perforce the position in the Cold War. Today, it is an anachronism to be discarded like traditional theories of security. And it is dangerous because it is not rivalry but partnership we need; a common will and a shared purpose in the face of a common threat."

Um, what he said. Let the War on Bad Philosophy begin.

"...Europe has one potential for weakness. For reasons that are obvious, we spent roughly a thousand years killing each other in large numbers. The political culture of Europe is inevitably rightly based on compromise. Compromise is a fine thing except when based on an illusion. And I don't believe you can compromise with this new form of terrorism.

Three sentences, and the guy totally nails the reality of the EU. Hope Steven Den Beste is taking notes :-)

"...But my real point is this: Now Europe is at the point of transformation. Next year, 10 new countries will join. Romania and Bulgaria will follow. Why will these new European members transform Europe? Because their scars are recent, their memories strong, their relationship with freedom still one of passion, not comfortable familiarity. They believe in the trans-Atlantic alliance. They support economic reform. They want a Europe of nations, not a super state. They are our allies and they are yours. So don't give up on Europe. Work with it."

I think I've heard this somewhere before.

"And the United Nations can then become what it should be: an instrument of action as well as debate. The Security Council should be reformed. We need a new international regime on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And we need to say clearly to United Nations members: "If you engage in the systematic and gross abuse of human rights in defiance of the U.N. charter, you cannot expect to enjoy the same privileges as those that conform to it."

I think I've heard this before, too. Welcome to the first significant invocation of neo-sovereignty as doctrine by the leader of a major power. That pounding sound you hear is the hammering of a bailiff's notice on a whole lot of doors up and down the U.N.

"I agree. It is not the coalition that determines the mission, but the mission the coalition. But let us start preferring a coalition and acting alone if we have to, not the other way around."

Ouch, the Republicans felt that one. Of course, to use that jibe effectively, Blair had to demonstrate that he was willing to go with door #2. Note to Democrats: you can't harvest the wheat if you haven't planted and watered the seeds.

"...In Mexico in September, the world should unite and give us a trade round that opens up our markets. I'm for free trade, and I'll tell you why: because we can't say to the poorest people in the world, "We want you to be free, but just don't try to sell your goods in our market."

This would be the second most important thing that could be done for Third-World poverty (here's #1). Won't fly, Tony. Not yet, especially given French opposition. But the case and the campaign have to start somewhere. Thanks. His mentions of Israel and the Palestinians were formulaic, but his specific mention of the hatred being nurtured in Arab societies, and clear calls for it to cease, was more than I expected given Britain's policies to date. EUroweenie Chris "I'd rather fund Arafat's terrorism and not ask questions" Patten, and other EU funds for Palestinian indoctrination of the very hatred Blair describes, haven't exactly been shining models. To date, Blair has been silent. Will he now back up these words with actions? We'll see. Back to Tony:

"...America must listen as well as lead. But, members of Congress, don't ever apologize for your values. Tell the world why you're proud of America. Tell them when the Star-Spangled Banner starts, Americans get to their feet, Hispanics, Irish, Italians, Central Europeans, East Europeans, Jews, Muslims, white, Asian, black, those who go back to the early settlers and those whose English is the same as some New York cab driver's I've dealt with ... but whose sons and daughters could run for this Congress. Tell them why Americans, one and all, stand upright and respectful. Not because some state official told them to, but because whatever race, color, class or creed they are, being American means being free. That's why they're proud. As Britain knows, all predominant power seems for a time invincible, but, in fact, it is transient. The question is: What do you leave behind? And what you can bequeath to this anxious world is the light of liberty."

He says this, and you believe deep in your bones that he really means it. The day Democrats say this again and people believe in their bones that they really mean it, is the first step on the party's long road back. Then he goes on and comes to this:

"...I know out there there's a guy getting on with his life, perfectly happily, minding his own business, saying to you, the political leaders of this country, "Why me? And why us? And why America?" And the only answer is, "Because destiny put you in this place in history, in this moment in time, and the task is yours to do." And our job, my nation that watched you grow, that you fought alongside and now fights alongside you, that takes enormous pride in our alliance and great affection in our common bond, our job is to be there with you. You are not going to be alone. We will be with you in this fight for liberty."

The proud father, the friend's advice, the homie who's got your back on the street. Even Thatcher couldn't put all that together - no one has, not since Churchill. Is it any wonder Americans across the political spectrum love this guy? Memo to Europe: this is how you talk to Americans. "The torch is yours now - and ours, too. We're proud of you, and we remember our times together on the frontiers of history fighting for what's right. We're still there. You are not alone. We will be with you. Here, before us, is our common purpose as we see it. Now round up the posse, and let's ride." --- UPDATES: --- · uBlog offers some suggestions re: what to call a "reverse Fisking". Plus some comments on the speech. Looking forward to Monday. · Iain Murray comments. · British blogger Last Toryboy comments. · British writer Clive Crook comments. I detect a theme. · P. comments. · Instapundit & Sullivan comment. · Lileks comments - and you owe it to yourself to read it.